‘Safe Hands’ talks turning down Sir Alex, Wenger blowing his lid at half-time and Gazza’s impatient approach to fishing…
Interview Grant Shubb
DAVID SEAMAN
You could have joined Manchester United instead of Arsenal. What happened when you were still at QPR?
I was out walking my dog one day and Bryan Robson phoned me. He said, “The manager wants a word,” and I was like, “What do you mean?” It was Alex Ferguson on the line and he said, “Look, I’m coming in for you over the summer.” At the time they still had Jim Leighton and Les Sealey as their keepers, and he didn’t want it coming out that he was after me. We tried to keep it quiet, but the next day Arsenal made a bid for me. I had the choice of signing for Arsenal or Manchester United. I spoke to Ray Wilkins, who was at QPR and had played for United. I said, “Ray, what would you do?” And he said, “If you go to United you won’t win trophies straight away because they’re rebuilding, but you will in the future because they’re a massive club.” But he added, “If you go to Arsenal now, you will win trophies straight away.” He was spot on. I signed for Arsenal and we won the league in my first season. It doesn’t get much better than that. United missed out on my signature but didn’t do too badly – they signed Peter Schmeichel.
What stands out from your battles against United? Did Arsene Wenger ever lose his cool at half-time?
I only ever saw Arsene lose it once. We were 5-1 down at Old Trafford at half-time! In his French accent, he said to us in the changing room, “This is not effing acceptable!” It was the first time I’d ever heard him say much at half-time, and it was like a rant. We found it so funny, and Ray Parlour and I nearly started laughing because it didn’t sound right coming from Arsene. For the most part he avoided confrontation at half-time. He’d say his piece about two minutes before we went back out and that was it – he didn’t like shouting. On another occasion, I remember coming in at half-time when we were losing at Highbury. His assistant Pat Rice yelled at a few players, and in front of everybody Arsene turned to him and went, “Pat, sit down and be quiet.” Pat was like a schoolboy being told off! That was what Arsene was like – I’m sure that’s how he carried on after I left the club in 2003.
How special will it be to have a statue of Wenger at the Emirates Stadium?
It’s deserved, and I’m surprised that a statue of him outside the stadium hasn�
